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I found this site and have enjoyed reading everyone's stories, questions, etc. But after what happened to me I felt I should share my journey. My surgery was on August 16, 2013 at OCC w/ Dr. Ortiz as self pay. This was not a quick decision for me, rather I scoured the internet for months. I finally decided on Plication because I was uncomfortable removing even part of a healthy organ, RNY/bypass was scary to me and everything I read talked about the practically non-existent post surgical problems with Plication. And everyone raved about Dr. Ortiz and the staff. To be honest, I never felt the love the rest others did, but that could be partially me. Once I made my decision it was a freight train. Surgery went well, no real problems. When we left Mexico 3 days later I had a full day of flight to get home. It was exhausting but again, no real problems. Fast forward 3 months to the day. I have great restriction, am eating wisely and have lost about 45 lbs! I'm a happy woman! But then... 2 weeks ago today I'm having an "off" day, just not feeling quite right, i couldn't sleep and was having mild stomach pain. About 2:00 a.m I had horrible pain in my stomach/upper abdomen. I decided to try sleeping, went to bed and as soon as I lay down I had searing pain in my left arm, jumped out of bed, broke out in a cold sweat, got nauseous and was freezing cold- classic heart attack symptoms! Got my hub up and had him drive me to emergency which was about 1 hour from home. To spare you the details of that night/morning, I had blown one stitch, my abdominal cavity was filling with air and the stomach contents had leaked into my abdominal cavity. Emergency surgery about 5 hours later saved my life. Once contents spill into the abdominal cavity there's a short time frame before your other organs go septic.So, 5 days in the hospital and 10 days recouping at home now I just wanted to let people considering this surgery know that even though the chances of problems from what I read are less than 1%, they do happen and with dire consequences! I was nauseated every morning right after surgery for about 2 weeks, even with the Rx. One morning I felt a sharp pain while retching. I think that may be when it happened, but 3 months to finally blow? IDK, but I have a follow up with the surgeon in 3 days and will ask his opinion. The up-side is that the hospital I went to was smart enough to not touch me and called in an experienced Bariatric Surgeon, who has agreed to be my doc form here forward even though his clinic doesn't do Gastric Plication. I live in the middle of nowhere on a family farm and felt so confident that I would have no problems because of statistics this surgery had. Less than 1%- maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket Anyhoo...if you are considering WLS, this is my warning to not be as naive as I, thinking that'll never happen to me. Consider that it could happen to you and at the very least, have a Dr. in your area who will see you and a back-up plan! Wishing you all the best on your individual journey

Forgot to mention the Ross Hall also run a Support Group the next meeting of the Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery Support Group is on Saturday 25th October at 11.00am in the Boardroom at the Ross Hall Hospital, 221 Crookston Road, Glasgow (Crookston Station is a short walk away)

I've liked all of the Muscle Milk I've tried....cake batter, red velvet cake, banana cream and strawberry cream. Premier Protein chocolate is probably my favorite chocolate. I also like premier strawberry, but the vanilla is not my favorite. I like it as creamer in my coffee and tea, but not to just drink plain. Syntrax nectar cherry, lemonade, peach and apple are great summertime Protein drinks. Syntrax matrix vanilla is my goto vanilla. Garden of Life Raw Protein chai and vanilla are both good. I also add fruit and Torani syrups to my shakes for more variety. I did not like isopure grape or fruit punch...they were the only things that ever made me gag. Didn't like optimum nutrition vanilla ice cream and Not really a fan of the Jay Robb whey or egg flavors, except Piña colada. But you're right, there are so many different ones out there. You can get samples of dozens of different powders from Nashua Nutrition. Since I have a Protein shake everyday (even a year out) I just ordered a bunch to try some new flavors and so far the Bariatric fusion mint chocolate was a big thumbs down. I'll just stick with premier chocolate with peppermint Torani syrup.

As lapbandster mentioned above, I would recommend fighting this one. I can't think of any insurance that would deny removal of an implanted device for which you are having complications. If the GI doctor is recommending removal, I recommend consulting with a bariatric surgeon. Bariatric offices have staff that specialize in this, so they'd know how to show "medical necessity" of the procedure.

Hi all, so I’m having a bit of a dilemma and I was just curious to know what others would do in my position. My wife and I currently have Kaiser insurance here in California. Based on their program, it would be 10 classes (2.5 months) and then I would have to wait to get on the books for surgery, the person I spoke to said it could be up to a year wait. BUT, I have zero copay and the surgery would essentially be free. On the other hand, there’s the possibility of taking out a Care Credit loan at for $18.5k 0% APR and I could get the sleeve at Blossom Bariatrics by next month if I wanted to. I know it seems like a no brainer to just be patient and wait. That is the smarter financial decision. We do have to put a new roof on our house (or we could wait until next year) and we are definitely worried that if I take out an 18k loan… that our financing of our roof would come with a stupid APR and would ding our credit. We are in our 30s… no kids… live comfortably financially but not well off-which is why the 18k seems a little crazy, although the monthly payments are totally doable for me. On the other hand, I’m almost prediabetic, high cholesterol, feel like my eating habits are spiraling each day. I am genuinely upset that I feel like I’m turning to surgery as a last resort and tool. I’ve tried every diet, every app, every diet pill from my Doctor, I have spent thousands at this point for personal trainers, my mind is consumed with the state my body is in, I feel exhausted, not healthy and I also feel like it’s holding me back from progressing in my life/career. My confidence level, well, it doesn’t even exist at this point. I feel defeated and the amount of energy I use thinking about losing weight/getting healthy is maddening and exhausting. I feel as though one can’t put a price tag on health. I feel like the gross amount of money I spend on eating out nearly every day, buying food, paying for this diet or that gym equipment… would also be eliminated to an extent if I have surgery. So, I kind of feel like even spending 18k… I would SAVE in the long run. I have a ton of goals I’d love to accomplish over this next year… and I feel like the thing holding my back is my health/confidence/lack of energy. My wife is wonderful and we have long, real discussions about all of it. She’s kind of the financial whiz of our life and we are both wondering what the best option is. Spend the money… get my health on track ASAP… save money in the long run because I’m not eating out multiple times a day or buying whatever I think will help me finally get on track. (She also feels like this would help her as my eating habits are starting to wear off on her she says)…OR Wait a year stuck in this loop, possibly gaining more. But I'll pay nothing. There’s so much that can happen in a year… but I don’t want to remain stagnant, spiraling for a year… I want to jump start it and move forward and get this over with and move on. But I can’t figure out what the best choice is. Further, I'm so afraid that even using the sleeve as a helpful tool, that'll I'll just fail at that as well. Thanks for reading my vent. Would love to hear some of your thoughts.

I am proud to think of you both as Bariatric Pals.

I am so disappointed - the bariatric coordinator told me when we spoke two weeks ago that she had everything and was going to submit for approval from my insurance company that day. I called today just to double check and see if any progress had been made with the approval. When I called today I got the other bariatric coordinator who told me that they had not even submitted! She looked at my file and said that indeed everything was set to be submitted and she wasn't sure why it had not been submitted already. She is going to submit tomorrow and now I will begin the waiting game all over again. This isn't the first time this girl has dropped the ball either.... My husband called the office because I was so upset and they weren't super nice to him although I heard the conversation and he was calm and not hostile or rude at all. I'm afraid they will now purposely delay it longer. Has anyone ever switched doctors at this point? Would they give all my information to another's doctors office? Any advice is appreciated!!!

Of course! I actually have a page for adolescent teens (really anyone who is looking for advice!) who have had or are looking into bariatric surgery. You can add Bariatric Teens on Facebook or you're welcome to email me at barihealthyteens@ymail.com and I will do my best to help in any way I can!

Okay, I've been forced to do a lot of soul-searching recently. Despite sailing through any pre-operative psychological assessment (in fact I was so convincing and probably 'cause I was self pay I wasn't actually referred for the full tests), there is a nagging truth which keeps tapping me on the shoulder and making me uncomfortably aware of the reasons as to why I found myself in this position. The position whereby I felt bariatric surgery was my only viable option to lose weight and take control of my diet. Or more accurately and for me; my portion size. Although I can intellectualise my way out of a paper bag (as was stated by the psychologist when I finally met them), I had, and have, to be honest as to the reasons I ended up this big. The answer, as painful as it is, was; my mother. My mother is a tough cookie. Born in a depressive era in Ireland, with enumerate siblings. She was poor and although educated, she was curtailed in her life choices and was always shown that 'if you love someone, you feed them'. I assume this was their truth, as to feed a very big family was difficult at this time, and was the only example her poor long-suffering and abused mother could muster under extreme circumstances. It was also the only expected long-term outlook for women of childbearing age. The impact of this, was clearly passed down the genetic line. That in this, the nature/nurture argument for our food weaknesses becomes more pressing. This was exemplified not only in the way my mother behaved generally, but how she administered herself in her marriage and how she behaved with her children. The extent of this dysfunction only became apparent in how skewed my food choices (and more appropriately: portion sizes) were - and how I was born into those food choices - when recently cooking for my mother. She skipped anything resembling a vegetable, ate her body-weight in meat, potatoes and fresh bread (despite my making from scratch; Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Fatttoush and Lamb kebab). She was a wonderful cook herself and we never went without anything (all food groups represented) and it was never out of a packet. However, I got a rude awakening as to how a mothers preferences in showing affection and her deeper psychological state, totally influenced us kids. When pressing me on my weight loss, she conceded that she'd always focussed too much on the carbs ('tis an Irish thing) when we were children and how she'd misrepresented the importance of bread and potatoes in our diet. This was also, and sadly, tempered with how her inability to show affection, manifested itself in the reward system she'd assigned for herself. In that by feeding her offspring, she'd aligned this with the ultimate expression of love.... As much as I love my mother and as much of a wonderful cook she was; I realised that the burden of responsibility for the reason I was so overweight as a child, which then carried on into adulthood, was as much her responsibility as it was mine. I, too, now feed those I love. Not because I have an incapability to show love, but that these deeply engrained examples have become the example I work from. Despite these factors changing - because of the surgery - I can see where these behaviours are hard cycles to break and have left me with a mental quandary over identity and 'healthy' expressions of love and affection. I have no idea as to the extent to how people evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery on their lives. Tactical and strategic analysis is difficult to do when everyone is so enraptured by the immediate gratification gained from losing pounds and having all those non-scale-victories (lest we talk about the 'my cats blacker' self affirming attitudes which occasional pervades this website).... But has it forced you to re-evaluate the causes for your issue? Have you searched your soul and now have a better handle on how you ended up in this position? 'Cause lets face it - most of us can sit in a psychologist's chair for hours at a time, spinning the wheel - but unless you're willing to strip back your insecurities to the bare-bones truth, doesn't it all feel a bit, well, empty? Have we learnt anything other than to count the carbs, count the Protein, measure the Water consumption and count the calories in order to be fitter, tighter, healthier, smaller, more socially acceptable? I truly believe our surgical endeavors absolutely force us to re-evaluate our lives, our succor/comfort systems and our behaviour. Consequently and because of how hard it is (emotionally), do we not sneer with derision at those who proffer 'surgery is the easy option'. Out of the curtailment of our ability to chow down and eat our way to 'happiness'; is there not something more emotional and scarily deep, that we've had to confront every time we look in the mirror? i know I'm not an island unto myself. We were weak. We are, still, weak. Outside of the victories in maintaining a life of low fat, cottage cheese virtuous goodness. There is a deeper significance to combating the external expression of our hurt. What are yours? With utmost respect and affection, Revs x

When I saw my name at the bottom of your post my eyes filled up with tears that flowed freely....Yes this is the time to start to live again. To fight and be renewed in spirit and health.... Please don't look at it as I will fail at times..All of it is a part of the journey. The ups downs, screaming, the whys it is all for the good of who you are inside.....I have fought this fight for a long time and still struggle with my demons and I am so proud of you for knowing you have a huge fight ahead of you.. We will be here if and when you need us to sound off on and be there to console you as well.....Thank you for your comments....Your resolve is wonderful...

I was banded in October or November 2010, and lost about 80 pounds. By 2012 I'd had all the fluid removed due to regurg, pain, etc., even with minimal fills. Even with the band unfilled, foods still got stuck and some things were completely off limits. I just dealt with it for a few years, ignoring the problem. Earlier this year, I finally decided to do something about it and saw a bariatric surgeon here in Minneapolis (my band was placed in Omaha). In June of this year, I had a barium swallow xray done, and I was diagnosed with esophageal dismotility, a complication of the band. So, the band needed to come out. (For anyone reading this curious about the insurance approval process, I have Blue Cross Blue Shield and it was pretty straightforward, I just had to show proof of getting fills done (got my records from my old surgeon's office) and proof of a complication (the barium swallow showing dismotility).) I had the band out in August, and will be sleeved on December 7, in just 2 days. My surgeon does the revision in two different procedures because she feels there are fewer complications this way. Though there are other surgeons in the same group who do the revision in the same procedure. Waiting in between is not exactly easy on the pocket book (though I would have hit my out of pocket max either way), and my sick time at work has really taken a hit, but I understand the reasoning. Looking back on it, I'm really glad I've had the time between getting the band out and getting sleeved. I've had time to unlearn all the unhealthy habits I developed while dealing with my failed band. (And yes, I realize the failure was likely partly my responsibility, too, for anyone looking to jump all over me for that one.) I had to sip with my meals to get food past the band, and I definitely wasn't getting enough protein because that was likely to stick, too. Basically, I've had time to practice the "way of the sleeve" to replace the "way of the failed band". Between the band and the sleeve, I also have been hungry. My stomach hasn't rumbled this hard in years! (Maybe because it couldn't physically do so?) Protein shakes have helped, and paying attention to whether or not I'm actually hungry (or have any right to be based on what I've already eaten) or if it's just mental "hunger" have kept me from gaining weight. I've actually lost about 20 pounds now, and not just from the liquid diet I'm on before surgery. While it's frustrating to have to do two procedures, I hope you find the time in between helpful. Good luck! Wishing you the best.

According to the internet: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. Treatment recommendations for NAFLD are aimed towards weight reduction, thereby reducing insulin resistance. Unfortunately, lifestyle modifications have not yielded long-term success, while durable weight loss is routinely achieved with bariatric surgery. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/763056 So what this summary says it that lifestyle modifications such as dieting and exercise have not yielded long-term success but bariatric surgery has. Another article says: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a progressive disease with potential evolution to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Another article says: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease. It encompasses a spectrum of conditions associated with lipid deposition in hepatocytes. It ranges from steatosis (simple fatty liver), to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH–fatty changes with inflammation and hepatocellular injury or fibrosis), to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. Studies suggest that although simple fatty liver is a benign condition, NASH can progress to fibrosis and lead to end-stage liver disease. The disease is mostly silent and is often discovered through incidentally elevated liver enzyme levels. It is strongly associated with obesity and insulin resistance and is currently considered by many as the hepatic component of the metabolic syndrome. NASH cirrhosis is now one of the leading indications for liver transplantation in the United States. I underwent RNY gastric bypass surgery because my health was deteriorating rapidly. I dieted and exercised and still could not shed the pounds but instead continued to gain the weight. I had the surgery to correct my health conditions. The surgery corrected a number of my health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, acid reflux (GERD). It even corrected my asthma condition. If your focus is to become healthy and live a long productive life, then I would suggest the surgery. I dropped 120 pounds after surgery and my BMI went to normal. Weight loss was just a little gravy on top of health improvements. One of the factors that enter into the equation is cost. The operation is expensive and therefore it is important to have insurance that covers the operation. Therefore the guideline requirements from your insurance policy will dictate how easy it is to obtain this surgery. Many insurance policies are written very similar, so this will give you an idea: Surgical treatment of obesity (bariatric surgery) is covered only if: - eligible enrollee is 18 of age or over - clinical records support a body mass index of 40 or greater (or 35-40 when there is at least one co-morbidity related to obesity). Applicable co-morbid conditions include the following: * Type II diabetes mellitus (by American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria). * Refractory hypertension (defined as blood pressure of 140 mmHg systolic and or 90 mmHg diastolic) despite medical treatment with maximal dose of three antihypertensive medications. * Refractory hyperlipidemia (acceptable levels of lipids unachievable with diet and maximum doses of lipid lowering medications). * Obesity–induced cardiomyopathy. * Clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea. * Severe arthropathy of the spine and or weight bearing joints (when obesity prohibits appropriate surgical management of joint dysfunction treatable but for obesity). - Documentation of failure to lower the body mass index within the last 12 months through a medically supervised program of diet and exercise of at least 6 months duration. So if your health insurance policy was similar to mine, you would not be able to qualify because of age; but the moment you turned 18, you would get a green light because your BMI is over 40. So the best advise I can give you is to dig out your health insurance policy and read the fine print.

My surgery is scheduled July 14th and I'm getting nervous. My bariatric surgeon instructed me to avoid patches and gummies. I'm going to try the patches anyway better that then nothing at all. I'm going with the patches because most supplements have soy, eggs, yeast, wheat, gluten and plant based properties in them. I'm intolerant (significant bloat throughout body, skin irritations, canker sores, irritability, dumping--mainly due to having my gallbladder removed) of all the above. I'd be curious to hear from others who find the patches effective and the results of bloodwork to back up your claim. Thanks!

Are you talking about Georgia? If you have private or company insurance, that depends on your plan. As far as the State's Medicaid plan, you will need to contact them directly to get the specifics and their criteria. Not all bariatric surgeons will accept Medicare or Medicaid patients because of the extreme discount rates of assignment. In general Medicare and Medicaid pay less than half of what other insurance companies pay.

This is what I use- http://m.gnc.com/Dymatize-Nutrition-Elite-Casein-Smooth-Vanilla/product.jsp?productId=71363976&network=g&device=m&creative=125833957874&c3ch=PLA&matchtype=&c3nid=20684467&adpos=1o5&gclid=COGG0eDvh88CFQJehgodpCgMbg&eesource=CA_DF%3A58234906%3AGNC&flavourID=58234906 It is micellar casein, and also has BCAA's in it (branched chain amino acids). BCAA's help with several things, including muscle repair, muscle recovery, and fatigue from exercise. They supply you with the amino acids (building blocks of proteins) you are not manufacturing in your body and must get from exogenous (outside) sources. Is it necessary to take BCAA's? Not necessarily. These foods are high in natural essential BCAA's Almonds Peanuts Wheat germ Oats Pinto Beans Chick peas Lentils Brown rice Corn Beef Salmon chicken eggs Milk Hummus Soy Protein Lamb Seaweed cheese Sesame seeds Cottage cheese Mushrooms Carrots Celery Turnips Some are plant-based, some dairy, some meat Bariatric patients have a hard time getting enough of any one nutrient in per meal/or per day. The target for BCAA's is 3G per meal- but there are three different BCAA's we need -leucine, isoleucine, and valine. And not all come from the same sources. So, if you are working out, having your whey Protein shake mixed with BCAA's right after your workout is ideal because the whey is readily absorbed and targets your muscles, and the BCAA's go right with them- and recovery is easier. Hope that helps! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yes but it's different with the bypass your anatomy is reconfigured so it's not in a natural state. Meaning if you had complications down the road and went to someone who wasn't a bariatric surgeon (or your surgeon even) they could easily get confused and end up looking in the new stomach or remnant of the old. That's why ulcers are incredibly dangerous in bypass patients, as they can be difficult to find and identify, and could lead to major complications (which I've personally seen before). With the sleeve all of the anatomy is left intact in its natural state, just the stomach is reduced

Hello fellow CIGNA sleevers, Well I called my Dr.'s office this morning and infact CIGNA did change their policy on the Bariatric Surgery and they are starting the ball to file for approval. YIPEEEE

Bariatric Advantage multi Vitamins. I buy them from Amazon.com, and it runs about $20 plus shipping. my superpower is......

Heya everyone, Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it normal to have food take a long time to make its way down my Esophagus to the stomach at this point after my surgery? (Since I haven’t had my 1st fill yet. They thought that I shouldn’t have that problem.) My food either takes quite a long time to move down or it seems to get stuck before it even gets to where my LapBand is located. I have been using the Bariatric Advantage Meal Replacement 8oz drinks for my Breakfast & lunch. Then I might eat a small dinner. Thanks, Matt

I'll bet it's your hernia. When I was researching Bandwagon, a few bariatric surgeons said that the band can, but is not guaranteed, to prevent reflux, and also that hiatal hernias are associated with band slips and other complications or side effects. I have an acquaintance whose reflux was cured by her band surgery,but since she also had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time, it's hard to say whether her band or the hernia repair is responsible for that cure. Is the Nexium helping?

Can someone translate this for me? I take it as they want me to fail a diet before seeing my surgeon and bring them proof. "Patients should have documented failure to respond to conservative measures for weight reduction prior to consideration of bariatric surgery"

Ok, I realize this is an old topic, but..... If this guy is 'one of the most respected bariatric surgeons' then we should all be afraid, be very afraid. His website says he is 1 mile from the Texas border, conveniently, that's 1 mile INSIDE MEXICO! I'm fairly certain my 7 y/o daughter could have given a better presentation!! Also, is it just me, or have we as a society become so dumb that we can't spell (or even use a spell checker) or produce a legible sentence?... I'm just sayin'

My surgeon asked me very specifically not to change my eating habits at all pre-op -- no dieting, no overeating or bingeing. (Of course I couldn't eat anything after midnight the night before surgery.) There are also very few post-op restrictions, and liquids only for three-four days post-op. The rules post-op mostly are don't eat sugar or drink alcohol at first, wait till four weeks post-op to eat raw fruit/veg, and eat 'circle-wise' -- one bite Protein, one bite veg, one bite carb (preferably not white carbs), repeat -- and drink 1.5-2 litres of Water per day. There is quite in-depth training and examples given about how to eat post-op, it's just full foods right from the start, with no liquid or mushy phase per se, though they advise a lot of joghurt and quark and very well-cooked veg during the first couple post-op weeks. This is all from a very experienced and academically respected hospital and bariatric team, who've led a number of studies and are well-published. I'm not saying that their rules (or perhaps relative lack thereof) are any better than all the liquids pre- and post-op -- I am just saying that, knowing what they know and how much experience they have (particularly with VSG), there is clearly huge variability in what is actually okay, or safe, pre- and post-op, from a quantifiable, replicable, medical/scientific evidence perspective. And all that is prelude to the following: I believe that, without seeing the evidence or knowing the medical rationale firsthand (e.g., actual fatty liver is certainly not present in every heavy person and can be determined through a simple blood test), I personally would have had a hell of a time staying on any extensive liquid or other severe diets. I need a very good reason to feel that shitty for two weeks lol. And now THAT being said, one very good reason many of you mention, is that your surgeon requires it for you to get the surgery -- that would be quite motivating I'm sure. Anyhow, best of luck to all of you in getting through the challenging times!!

Hi, Ive just found a doc in central IL I've talked to the office of sidney Rohrschieb in Clinton, IL. He'll also do lap-banding at Carle Surgi-center in Champaign. His office charges 14,500, and it includes the first fill, preop physical, and nutritional consult. The rest of the fills will cost $78. I know that some of the mexican doc's include fills for life, but the cost of getting there will be more than $78, so I'm thinking of getting mine here. Has any of you heard about Dr Rohrschieb? I don't know him and am hoping he's ok.

hi Everyone! My name is Kelsey, I'm 10 years out from RNY, and have lost over 256 pounds. I went through pretty intense hairloss myself - probably about 60%. It did eventually grow back, but not the same as it was before. I created a video about it on my YouTube Channel if you'd be interested in checking it out, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7xWWWwTH15JPyw84-5ZV4w - Bariatric Beauty and Finishing School Your hair will come back -- be patient, take your vitamins, get in your protein and have faith xoxoxo K